Pumping system



VEN TOR.

H. c. P YLE PUMPINg,sYsTE'M Filed Jue 27, 1938 "ii/foward GP5/le ATTORNEY Agg. .11, 1942.v

Patented Aug-11, 1942 PUMPING SYSTEM Howard C. Pyle, Glendale, Calif., assigner to Union Oil Company of California, Los Angeles,

Calif., a corporation of California Application June 27, 1938, Serial No. 216,087

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvementsv in the separation of liquid and gas mixtures and specifically to the separation of oil and gas within a pumping well by means known as a gas anchor.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for increasing the volumetric efliciency of an oil well pump by effecting separa-- tion of a substantial proportion of the dispersed and dissolved gases from the oil owing into the well bore before it reaches the pump cylinder. Another object of this invention is to provide a means for agitating the produced oil containing dissolved and dispersed gas prior to its entrance into the pump cylinder whereby equilibrium is promoted and gas is caused to come rapidly out of solution and to be separated fromthe oil prior to entrance of the oil into the pump cylinder.

With these objects in view this invention resides broadly in an apparatus for effecting agitation of the produced gas-containing oil at the bottom of the pumping well and for separating gasfrom cil prior to the entrance of the oil into the pump cylinder. The invention more specifically resides in means for agitating and forming a large disengaging surface for the gas-oil mixture whereby dissolved and entrained gas is rapidly and more completely separated from the oil.

valso resides in increasing the production by means of reducing the back pressureimposed upon the producing formation. These and other objects y and features of novelty will become evident hereinafter.

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views, Fig. 1 is a partial sectional elevation of the well pump and the upp portion of the gas anchor. Fig. 2 is a'lower e ension of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section of an optional arrangement of the liquid lifting jets of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken at line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, I is a well casing, which for the purpose of illustration is shown as being landed and cemented at II in a suitable impervious layer overlying the producing formation I2. Suspended from the lower end of said I and coupled thereto at the lower end is a pump barrel I1. Inside of the pump barrel I1 is a pump plunger I8 which carries a traveling valve I9 to which in turn the sucker rods 20 are attached by means of which it is reciprocated in the conventional manner. A standing valve 22 is provided at the lower end of the pump barrel I1.

Extending from the lower end of the pump vbarrel is a coupling 23 to which the hereinafter described gas anchor assembly is attached. .A specially shaped threaded head coupling 25 is adapted to make connection with the said coupling 23 extending from the pump cylinder inlet and it is vprovided with a central bore 26 through which the pump suction inlet pipe 21 extends and is secured in place by means of a threaded 4nut 28. Coaxially surrounding the pump inlet 21 is a larger pipe 2S which abuts at the upper end against the chamfered surface 30 of the head 25 and at the lower end makes threaded connection at 3| with an annular ange or diaphragm 32. The annular flange or diaphragm 32 forms a gas tight partition between `the casing thereabove and the perforated liner therebelow and is held in place upon the upper end of the liner and upon a suitable gasket 35 by means of a portion of the weight of the oil tubing thereabove.

The annular space 33-included between the pipe 23 and casing I0 and closed at the lower end by flange 32 constitutes a liquid-gas separating zone which communicates with the before mentioned pump inlet pipe 21 through two outlet ports 31 and 38 at the ends of the T connection 39. The annular space between pipes 21 and 23 constitutes the inlet. passage from the central *opening of the flange 32 to the upper portion of the liquid-gas separating zone by way of a plurality of outlet ports 4I situated near the upper end of pipe 2B adjacent the lower chamfered end 42 and the pipe 23 constitute the inlet to the liquid gas separating zone.

The pipe 22 leading from the before mentioned inlet to the liquid gas separating zone makes connection at the lower end thereof with the threaded central portion 3| of the flange 32, as described hereinbefore. 'I'he flange l2 is provided with a central passageway and a short downwardly extending cylindrical connection 45 from which a ball valve 45 and a mosquito bill conduit 41 are suspended and extended into the perforated liner I 3 adjacent the producing formation I2.

The flange 32 is provided, in the central passageway to which pipe 23 is attached, with a venturi shaped section 49 and a nozzle 5l coaxially positioned and directed forward toward the restricted section thereof. A similarly shaped section 52 and nozzle 53 are provided at the lower end of the mosquito bill conduit 41. Both of the nozzles 50 and 53 are connected by way of pipes 54 and 55 through valves 53 and 51 respectively to supply pipe 53 which in turn makes connection with the special ported ange 60 located at the top of the pump barrel I1.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 a method of construction of the mosquito bill conduit 41 and venturi section 52 is illustrated wherein instead of employing a separate pipe 54 to make connection with the nozzle '53 a parallel channel 62 is provided within the conduit 41 making suitable connectionvwith the nozzle 53 and the supply pipe 58 through ducts 63 and 84 in the pipe fittings which register with suitable holes 55 and 65 respectively in said ducts 82.

'Ihe operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming that the formationv I2 is producing oil which has accumulated to a level, say at 68, within the perforated liner I3, under normal operating conditions the oil tubing I will be filled with a relatively dense gas-free column of oil extending from the standing valve 22 to the top of the well. The pressure of this column of oil may vary from approximately one thousand to three thousand pounds per square inch at the ported iiange 60 to which the pipev 58 makes connection. This high pressure oil from the oil tubing I5 may be supplied to either or both of the nozzles 50 or 53 through pipe 58 and branch pipes 55 and 54 respectively. The velocity and quantity of oil supplied to the nozzles may be regulated by the valves 58 and-.51. The resultant high velocity jets of oil which are directed upwardly through the venturi sections 49 and 52 causes the oil accumulated within the liner I3 to be withdrawn therefrom and to be lifted Unwardly through the mosquito bill conduit 41, past the-ball valve 46, upward through the annular space between pipes 21 and 29, through ports 4I and to be finally droppedinto the liquid gas separating zone from the annular space between the pipe 29 and the sleeve 42 in the form of a relatively thin annular shaped liquid sheet. As the gas-oil mixture is thus stripped into .the separating zone large portions of the dissolved and entrained gases are released and pass upward in the annular space between the tubing I5 and the casing I0, and are withdrawn at the cas ing head to the gas disposal system. The oil from which the gas has thus been separated accumulates in the separating zone 33 to a depth sufficient to cover the outlets 31. and 38 from which the pump suction and the accumulated oil is withdrawn from the separating zone 33 through the pump inlet pipe 21 and through the standing valve 22 into the pump cylinder I1. The oil is then lifted from the pump cylinder I1 by the plunger I3 and the traveling valve II upward through the tubing to the .casing head to production in the conventional manner.

It is an advantage of this invention that the oil which accumulates in the perforated liner may be lifted upward to a zone of reduced pressure within the-gas separating zone 33 without the necessity of carrying additional back pressure on the formation. The required lift of the oil from the producing zone to the gas separating zone. in the present invention,fis accomplished by means of the high pressure oil jets issuing from the nozzles illustrated at 50 and 53 in Fig. 2 lof the drawing. By these lifting means the accumulated oilvlevel as illustrated at 5B may be maintained lower than is usual with the conventional production methods resulting in an improved and increased production. Another advantage of this invention is that the freshly produced oil which accumulates in the liner is .violently and thoroughly agitated by the jets 50 and 53 immediately prior to being delivered to the gas separating zone 33. Such agitation as is well known aids in quickly bringing the gas and liquid into equilibrium whereby a maximum amount of gas is liberated in a minimum of time. Another advantage of this invention is that the freshly produced oil containing dissolved and entrained gas is lifted to a region of substantially reduced pressure prior to being subjected to the suction of the pump. This reduction in pressure as is well known aids in quickly releasing the gas from the oil. This reduction in pressure in tlfe apparatus of the present invention takes place in the separating zone 33 from which thel gases are readily withdrawn and prevented from passing through the pump. The usual loss of volumetric efilciency of the pump and other serious operating disadvantages such as severe pounding are thus largely eliminated. v

While Jet types of pumps have been illustrated in the drawing for the purpose of lifting the produced oil from the perforated liner to the gas separating zone 33 other suitable types of pumps may obviously be employed as for example positive displacement gear pumps, centrifugal pumps or reciprocating plunger type pumps. These pumps may be driven by suitable fluid pressure operated motors supplied with high pressure oil in a manner similar to that illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4.

While, for the purpose of illustration and convenience the description of the operation of this invention has been that which is applicable to an oil well other applications are possible.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of but one apparatus and that the invention is not limited thereby but may include any apparatus which accomplishes .the same within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a pumping well having an oil-producing zone the combination of a well tubing, a pump at the lower end of said tubing, a liquid gas separating zone communicating near the lower end thereof with the inlet of said pump, an annular inlet in the upper portion of said separating zone communicating with the producing zone and adapted to ilow a liquid gas mixture downwardly into the said separating zone in the form of a relatively thin annular shaped stream, means for lifting the liquid and gas mixture from a point adjacent said producing zone to the inlet of said separating zone and means for separate withdrawal of gas from said separating zone.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the lifting means comprises a'iiuid operated pump.

3. A pparatus according to claim 1 wherein the inlet into the upper portion of the separating zone is arranged for the gas-oil mixture to fall through the annular gas separating zone.

4. Apparatus according to claim l in which the lifting means comprises a liquid operated jet Dumpv 5. In a pumping well having an oil-producing zone a combination of a well casing, a perforated section at the lower end of said casing, a well tubing supported in said casing, a pump at the lower end of said tubing, a liquid gas separating zone in said casing communicating near the lower end thereof with the inlet of said pump and separated from the perforated section by a diaphragm extending across said casing, an inlet for liquid formation in the perforated section through said conduit to said gas separating zone inlet, means to supply 'liquid under pressure from liquid head in said well tubing to operate said liquid-operat ed lifting means and means for separate withdrawal of gas from said separating zone.

6. In an oil well, apparatus for producing gasied oil comprising a. casing in the well bore hole, a tubing suspended in said casing, a pump near the lower end of said tubing, an oil-gas separating chamber communicating with the inlet of said pump and with said casing, a second pump with its inlet adapted to communicate with a body of gassy oil in the' bottom of saidwell, means to apply liquid under pressure as operative power to said second pump from liquid head in said tubing, means to transfer gassy oil from said second pump to said gas separating chamber and means in said separating chamber to form an extended disengaging surface for the introduced gas-oil mixture.

'7. In an oil well, apparatus for producing gasified oil comprising a casing in the well bore hole, a tubing suspended in said casing; a pump near the lower end of said tubing, an oil-gas separating chamber concentrically positioned with respect to said pump and said tubing and communicating with the inlet of said pump and said casing, a second pump with its inlet adapted to communicate with a body of gassy oil in the bottom of said well, means to apply oil under pressure as operative power to said second pump from liquid head in said tubing, means concentric with said tubing and casing for transferring gassy oil from said second pump to said gas separating chamber and means to transfer confined streams of separated oil and gas fromsaid separating chamber to the inlet of said rst mentioned pump and to said casing, respectively.

" 8. In a pumping oil well having an oil producing zone, apparatus for recovering oilfrom said zone comprising a casing in the well bore, an oil-discharge tubing suspended within said casing, a pump near the lower end of said tubing for lifting oil therethrough, an oil-gas separating chamber communicating with the inlet of said pump, a diaphragm across the casing separating said chamberfrom said producing zone, a second pump having its discharge communicating with said separating chamber and its inlet communicating with said oil-producing zone, and a connection between the oil-discharge tubing and the second pump to conduct high-pressure oil under the head pressure of the oil in the oil tubing to said second pump to operate the same to lift oil and gas from said producing zone to said separating chamber.

HOWARD C. PYLE, 

